Nobody saw this result coming and it was certainly not a fluke! Albion had one chance, took it, defended in numbers and travelled up north with the spoils. Town had gone nearly five months without defeat in the league; Nothing before this game suggested that run would come to an abrupt end. In racing terminology, there would have been a stewards inquiry into Town's display while at the same time, seeking reasons for Ryton's significant improvement! Former England international, Jimmy Greaves used to say "it's a funny old game", nobody was laughing come the final whistle. The day got off to an incredulous start; News of Thomas Dawson's departure went down like a lead balloon; Town had enough chances to win the game, even if they were lethargic and fractured but they lacked the guile to unlock such stubborn resistance. Considering Ryton came into the game in dire form, they surpassed expectations with a disciplined performance; Manager Peter Bryson had no substitutes to call on but he did have eleven heroes on the pitch; David Below was outstanding at the back and freshly faced goalkeeper Antony Patterson continued to frustrate, pulling off several fine saves. Town cannot afford to dwell on the result and Wednesday nights fixture at Northallerton is now a must win game. Manager, Barry Oliver was candid afterwards and clearly disappointed with the manner of the performance, just as much as the result. Time will tell if today was an aberration, a one off but Oliver will be looking for a positive reaction in midweek and we are due a win against Northallerton Town!

Goalkeeping coach Carl Morris became Town's fourth shot-stopper to wear the number one shirt this season; Jack Connor reverted back to centre half to partner Stephen Oakley and Luke Hogan switched to the right wing while Connor Dunlavey retained the left wing role. Right from the off it became evident Ryton had come with a plan; At times they dropped to a back five with the wingers tucking inside when Town had possession, which was 80% of the time! Towns first attempt on goal came after just six minutes of play; Chris Dickinson led a breakaway and played a speculative ball upfield that got held up in swirling wind. Luke Hogan reacted quicker than Callum Turnbull but his lofted shot lacked enough height to beat Patterson. Craig Hutchinson evaded three players to set up Dunlavey on the edge of the box and Patterson did well to close down the shot. The turning point came on twenty six minutes when Stephen Oakley limped off with an occurrence of his knee injury and two minutes later Town were caught cold. Philip Robinson lofted a diagonal ball into the box; Confusion reigned between Lee Moore and Morris leaving Turnbull with an open goal to score. Town reacted straight away; Once again Patterson denied Hogan and then the keeper got down low to keep out Hutchinson's strike from twenty yards. Although Town had chances, this was a flat first half performance and the final effort from Dickinson was superbly palmed away by Patterson.

HT BIllingham Town 0 Ryton & Crawcrook Albion 1

Hogan and Dunlavey swapped wings in an attempt to freshen things up and it was Dunlavey who was unlucky not to equalise on fifty five minutes. Surrounded by two men, he somehow managed to cut inside but his strike was always rising and the ball shaved the top of the crossbar. Town were dominating play but were too predictable and the decision making in the final third became their Achilles heel. It wasn't until the final ten minutes that Town made any inroads inside Ryton's box; Dickinson bundled wide and Dunlavey sliced horribly wide when well placed to score. The away side cleverly wasted time; Patterson got away with the six second rule by holding onto the ball for far too long. Because referee James Bancroft failed to adhere to the laws of the game, Town fans started to count the number of seconds and even then Bancroft managed the game in his own way. Into four and half minutes of injury time that should of been a minimum of seven, Mark Dixon headed over from a Hutchinson corner and Jamie Davis shot straight at Patterson from a twenty yard free kick. With seconds to go, Hogan had a half chance just outside the box but hooked wide. Congratulations to Ryton; For Town its back to the drawing board.

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest

You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot post attachments in this forum